Buried beneath our feet lie the stories of those who shaped Judaism. We’re standing at The plot of the Pharisees Middle Block 2. This place connects us to the Pharisees. They were a Jewish social movement during the Second Temple period. Their beliefs shaped Rabbinic Judaism after the Temple’s destruction.
The Pharisees clashed with the Sadducees. These conflicts were about culture and religion. The Sadducees favored Hellenization. The Pharisees resisted it. They also disagreed on interpreting the Torah. Sadducees only recognized the written Torah. Pharisees embraced the Oral Torah. They also believed in resurrection of the dead.
Josephus was a Jewish historian. Many believe he was a Pharisee. He estimated about 6,000 Pharisees before 70 AD. He claimed they had great influence over the common people. The Pharisees’ interpretations of Jewish law were based on Mosaic authority. The Sadducees represented priestly privileges established in Solomon’s time.
The New Testament mentions the Pharisees often. Some Pharisees believed in Jesus. Nicodemus knew Jesus was a teacher sent from God. Joseph of Arimathea also believed. Even the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee. He studied with Gamaliel. Gamaliel warned against opposing Jesus’s disciples.
The term “Pharisee” comes from Aramaic. It means “separated ones”. This might refer to separation from Gentiles. It could also mean separation from impure or irreligious Jews. Some scholars suggest it means “Persianizers”. Most scholars agree it comes from Hebrew and Aramaic words meaning “separated”.
Historical mentions of the Pharisees appear in the Gospels. They are also in the Acts of the Apostles. These sources describe their Torah adherence. They also discuss their eschatological views. Josephus described them as one of four Jewish schools of thought. The others were Essenes, Sadducees, and Zealots.
Judah ha-Nasi redacted the Mishnah around 200 CE. This marked the shift from Pharisaic to Rabbinic Judaism. The Mishnah compiled oral interpretations. These were traditions of the Pharisees and later rabbis. This helped oral tradition survive the Second Temple’s destruction.
The Pharisees emerged from scribes and sages. They were active from the mid-2nd century BCE. They remained so until the Temple’s destruction in 70 CE. Josephus mentions them first with Jonathan Apphus. The Pharisees believed all Jews should observe purity laws outside the Temple. They adhered to Jewish laws against assimilation. Josephus considered them experts on Jewish law.
The Pharisees had popular support. The Sadducees were associated with the ruling classes. Pharisees were more democratic. They asserted that a learned outcast takes precedence over an ignorant High Priest.
Sadducees rejected the Oral Torah. Pharisees embraced it. This created different understandings of the Torah. For example “an eye for an eye”. Pharisees believed the perpetrator paid the eye’s value. Sadducees took it literally.
Talmudic sages saw themselves linked to the Pharisees. Historians consider Pharisaic Judaism the progenitor of Rabbinic Judaism. Today’s mainstream Judaism considers itself heir to Rabbinic Judaism. So ultimately, the Pharisees shaped modern Judaism. Standing here at The plot of the Pharisees Middle Block 2 we touch their legacy. It is a legacy of law, learning and lasting faith.